The Call
1139 Words
The sun was already up when Serena stepped out onto the sidewalk, the warmth pressing down like a thick, invisible hand. She hadn’t realized it was this late—morning had slipped in sometime between her second shower and counting the five thousand dollars Louis had transferred to her account like it was spare change.
She wore sunglasses, mostly to hide the lack of sleep, and pulled her hoodie up despite the heat. She felt raw. Too much had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Her brain hadn’t caught up yet.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. A glance at the screen made her stomach twist.
The hospital. Again.
She answered, bracing herself.
“Miss Wen,” the nurse’s voice came through, gentle but firm. “We just wanted to remind you the outstanding balance on your mother’s bill is still pending. We understand there may be difficulty, but the payment deadline was—”
“I know,” Serena said quickly. “I’m on my way. I just—I’m handling it.”
“Alright. Thank you for letting us know.”
She hung up before she could hear the rest. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t avoid these calls anymore, no matter how much it made her skin crawl. But that didn’t mean they got easier.
She stood at the intersection, waiting for the light to change, when a familiar honk made her look up.
A silver hatchback rolled to a stop in front of her. The window lowered, revealing a round face and a pair of huge sunglasses.
“Serena Wen?” the driver said, voice half shocked, half amused.
Serena blinked, unsure if she was hallucinating.
“Nana?” she said, laughing despite herself.
Nana Park whipped off her sunglasses. “Girl, what the hell are you doing out here looking like you haven’t slept in a month?”
Serena pulled her hoodie down, suddenly self-conscious. “I… was just on my way to the hospital.”
Nana made a face. “At this hour? You’re either working nights or in trouble. Please don’t tell me it’s a sugar daddy situation.”
“It’s not.” Serena hesitated. “Well. It’s complicated.”
“Get in,” Nana said, unlocking the passenger door. “It’s too hot to explain anything while standing. You still hate the bus, right?”
Serena slid into the car, grateful for the blast of AC. It smelled faintly like french fries and perfume—exactly like Nana always had, even back in college.
“So?” Nana said, turning the music down. “Where’ve you been hiding? You drop off the face of the Earth after graduation, and now I find you looking like a hungover pop star at Fairfax and 8th.”
Serena snorted. “Not hungover. Just… exhausted. It’s been a week.”
“Where’d you crash last night? Don’t tell me you’re back to bar gigs.”
Serena paused.
Nana’s jaw dropped. “Oh my God. You were singing again?”
“I wasn’t—well, technically—no. But… yeah.”
Nana laughed. “Girl. I knew it. The minute I saw you in that hoodie I was like, ‘Yup, still chasing the dream.’”
Serena smiled, a little sad. “More like tripping over it.”
Nana didn’t push. Instead, she adjusted the AC vent toward Serena and merged onto the next lane. “So, hospital?”
“For my mom,” Serena said. “She had another operation last week. I still owe them money from the last one.
”
“Jesus,” Nana muttered. “I’m sorry.”
“She’s stable. For now. But they won’t start her rehab until the bills are cleared.”
“That sucks,” Nana said, tapping the steering wheel. “I swear, the healthcare system’s a scam. You want me to come in with you?”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just be a minute.”
But Nana insisted on parking and walking her in. “Moral support,” she said with a grin.
Inside, the front desk staff gave Serena a sympathetic nod when she handed over her ID. It wasn’t her first time here, and probably wouldn’t be the last. She withdrew the money Louis had sent earlier—leaving just enough for rent and groceries, and paid the balance in cash.
The nurse at the window raised her eyebrows. “This covers the entire outstanding amount.”
Serena nodded. “Yeah. Can you please confirm that with billing?”
“Of course.” The woman smiled. “Your mom’s lucky to have you.”
Serena didn’t say anything. She didn’t feel lucky. Just tired.
They stepped out of the hospital and into the bright parking lot, squinting against the glare.
Nana held up two fingers like a peace sign. “Breakfast. My treat.”
“I’m not—”
“Don’t argue with me. You look like you’ve survived an exorcism. You need carbs.”
They ended up at a little Korean diner Nana swore by. It smelled like kimchi and fried eggs, and Serena didn’t realize how hungry she was until her plate arrived. She inhaled the food like someone who hadn’t eaten since the last ice age.
Halfway through her second dumpling, her phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
She frowned and answered. “Hello?”
“Hi, is this Serena Wen?”
“Yes.”
“This is Dana from Atlas Casting. We got your info from our investor.”
Serena straightened in her seat, her chopsticks frozen mid-air.
“We’d like to invite you to a callback,” the woman continued. “It’s for the Before the Fall project, the indie film shooting in Silver Lake. Are you available tomorrow morning?”
“Yes,” Serena said, too fast. “Absolutely.”
“Great. I’ll email you the script sides and location. Bring a headshot and resume, if you have them.”
She barely got the words “Thank you” out before the call ended.
She stared at the phone, stunned.
Nana leaned over. “That was your agent?”
“I don’t have an agent.” Serena blinked. “That was... an audition, yeah.”
Nana whistled low. “Well, damn. That’s not nothing.”
Serena chewed on her bottom lip, heart still thudding. She didn’t know if this was a test, a favor, or something else entirely. Louis hadn’t said a word when she left his suite that morning. Not even a text. But now this?
Maybe he was giving her a shot after all.
Nana reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Listen. Whatever’s going on, take it. You’ve worked your ass off. This could be your break.”
Serena nodded slowly.
Yeah. It could be.
And this time, she wasn’t going to waste it.
- Writer
